Kuwait charges 29 people over Shiite mosque bombing

Friday 10/07/2015

Tight security measures

KUWAIT CITY - Kuwait charged 29 people Tuesday over the suicide bombing of a Shiite mosque last month, claimed by the Islamic State group, that killed 26 people and wounded more than 200.The attack, carried out by a Saudi, was the worst in Kuwait's history.Those charged included seven Kuwaitis, five Saudis, three Pakistanis, 13 stateless people known as bidoons, and another person at large, the prosecution said, cited by the official KUNA news agency.Ot them, 24 are detained in Kuwait and the remaining five will be tried in absentia. Among the latter are two Saudi brothers who allegedly transported the explosives to Kuwait and are being held in Saudi Arabia.The prosecution charged two of the suspects with premeditated murder and attempted murder.Two others were charged with training in the use of explosives, nine with assisting in committing the crime and the rest with knowing of the attack without informing the authorities.An IS-affiliated group calling itself Najd Province claimed the bombing and also said it carried out suicide attacks at two Shiite mosques in Saudi Arabia in May.IS considers Shiites to be heretics and has targeted them across the region.On Monday, the Kuwaiti cabinet decided to set up a permanent committee to "fight against all forms of terrorism... and extremism," and it will coordinate among various bodies in a bid to ensure security.